Asking employer to cover childcare costs

[Totupthenumberspls]

I’ve been asked to go on a business trip for a week, is it unreasonable to ask the company to pay the incremental childcare costs?

What a ridiculous comment 🙄

Change your mindset on this to see it as if you’ve been lucky you’ve not needed to do it more rather than thinking ‘why should I because I never had to do it before?’
It is part of the contract and therefore your employers would expect you to find a way to make it happen for a one off without them picking up the costs. They obviously think it’s a benefit for the company for you to be there.
I occasionally have to travel for my job, it’s a pain and means husband and other family helping but it’s what we have to do

Why are you spending time on MN insulting people instead of being with your child ???? Obviously being on MN means more to you than your child does....

If your husband was asked to travel, would he ask for extra money to cover child care? Equality in the workplace has been hard won. If a man wouldn't ask for or expect childcare expenses, why should a woman?

The point is that a father should ask for extra money to cover childcare in this situation, but traditionally it's been expected that "the wife" will sort it. If everyone just assumes that the partner (male or female) will adjust their lives around one of their employers, that's not equitable to single parents, partners with inflexible jobs, etc.

@Nofilteritwonthelp totally agree!

If it's usually you covering pre and post childcare then your husband can absolutely step in for 10 days.

The way it should be @ElaineMBenes ! 👏

@brogueish Then in this situation, if the husband's work wont be flexible, then maybe he should aak his company to cover the childcare? I totally agree, equality is still not really a thing in the workplace, and you can see why from most of the attitudes here. The responsibility to cover childcare is just as much the dad's responsibility as the mum's. It doesn't sound like OP goes away that much, so her OH should step up.

YANBU OP

we are so conditioned to believe that our employers are doing us a favour and we should be grateful for having a job. Simply because we are not used to the idea that actually, they do not own you.

My employer would reimburse for additional childcare costs because we aren’t exploitative and appreciate that our employees shouldn’t be out of pocket as a result of something we are making them do.

Men wouldn’t ask because their wives would be expected to cover ….

I travel regularly, I've never asked for childcare costs as I expect my husband to cover........’

me and DW cover for each other for work travel. My employer would laugh me out the door for asking for money towards travel.

are you Gen z by any chance OP??
One of my Gen z colleagues posted on our global company wide chat that he though it was a disgrace that we now have to come in two days a week to the office ( he like me was 5 days pre Covid) because he had a dog now and what was he supposed to do with dog? Would company pay for doggy daycare?

oh, how we laughed! Particularly as one response was from another Gen z who moaned that they would have a 20 minute drive each way to the office that day, and was the company planning on covering her petrol costs for such an arduous, expensive, long commute - oh and also WHAT a misuse of her time. She was planning on leaving the house at 9am not be in the office for 9am and count the commute as ‘working hours’.

I believe they both had a talking to by their mgrs…

TBH I’ve never minded being sent off for work for a bit, travel covered, nice hotel, free food and drinks, no-one but yourself to think about for a few days, sometimes somewhere sunny or unusual… sometimes Slough but Inguess you can’t have it all!

You should ask. If you don’t ask you don’t get. Many employers are trying to find ways to close the gender pay gap & be more inclusive. It isn’t unreasonable for you to ask, your employer may say no & that’s also totally within their rights as well. There’s a chance that nobody within management has considered the extra expenditure you’d incur.

@Tailfeather No, I don't agree. If either parent is asked to take a 10 day trip for work, they should ask their employer to contribute to additional costs incurred. The work trip benefits only one employer, so that employer should meet costs associated with the trip. It's got nothing at all to do with the other parent's employer.

Of course the family's childcare needs are paid for and managed by the family in the normal run of events. This sounds like an unusual ask from the employer, so it's reasonable that the employer should expect to go at least some way to meet associated costs. Even if the contract says travel may be required, if this is the first time it's come up in 8 years, it's definitely unusual and not something the family could be expected to have planned for. Custom and practice.

Your contract, assuming it is in force and not just rolled over for convenience, would not give you automatic entitlement. However you should have a sensible conversation with management clearly identifying the additional costs, your efforts to mitigate those costs and the likely shortfall - ask if they would consider contributing. Tell them how much you are looking forward to the trip, the positive benefits for both you and the company. Within reason it's a good idea to do more rather than less.

Of course not

Suck it up or tell them no but don't come on here seeking approval for what sounds like an air of entitlement.

Nothing wrong with asking, the worst they can say is "no". I think you could make a strong case and make a point from an equality point of view, especially if your company is looking into diversity and inclusion. I previously worked in a really male dominated field (electrical engineering) and my employer started taking D&I really seriously, so if I had this issue back then I probably would have raised it. You might find that other people in the company have the same issues. If they do say, "no" then you could always ask to do the training via video call.

Childcare costs if paid would be taxable. Having children is nothing to do with the business so paying for them in any way is not wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the purposes of carrying out your role. So most employers would refuse this request.

I think you're right and I've had an employer offer before. You are out of your normal pattern of work which doesn't usually actually involve travel despite what your contract might say about an ad hoc need to travel.

YABU. If you work in a male dominated environment and believe in equality then you need to tread very carefully not to be seen to be asking for preferential treatment as a female/mother.

I too work in a male dominated environment and I go lengths to ensure I am treated as an equal to my male colleagues in every respect. I would never expect to receive something that my male counterparts wouldn't receive.

"why should I be out of pocket by hundreds of pounds when providing my employer a service..." A service which you signed within your contract?

If you have a career like that then these things are to be expected.

I wouldn't expect them to cover childcare.

What is in the contract and Job description? If it outlines requirments to travel for work etc. Then no you couldn't possibly ask for that. But if it was not in either then you can push back and try negotiate.

I have 3 young DC, if I was asked to travel for work I’d expect all my expenses paid for including travel convenient for me so closest airport etc. but I don’t think they’d cover additional childcare. My DH would have to step up as an exception, as I would have to if he went away for work. It’s hard but manageable if they are in full time school / nursery. However 10 days is a long time, tbh I’d be reluctant to spend that long away from my DC unless it was an absolutely mandatory trip to attend. I’d probably see if someone else wanted to go instead if that was appropriate for whatever my role was going to be on the trip - pre kids I absolutely loved the work travel so maybe someone else might appreciate the opportunity to step up?!